Improvement in pneumatic apparatus for elevating water



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. J AMnsM. BLANGHARD AND WILLIAM E. PRALL, or WASHINGTON,

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

- IMPROVEMENT IN PNEUMATIC APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING WATER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,879, dated July 15, 1873; application filed May 21, 1872.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES M. BLAN- CHARD and WILLIAM E. PRALL, residing at Washington, in the District of Oolumbia,have invented certain Improvements in Pneumatic Apparatus for Elevating Water, of which the following is a specification:

Itis well known that the business of constructiug apparatus for supplying cities and towns with water for extinguishing fires, for domestic purposes, and for propelling small motors, takes a high rank among the engin eering enterprises of the age; and hence any plan that promises to afford greater or better facilities for such a purpose than those already in use is of importance; and especially is this the case if greater ecomomy in the erection of the machinery and in its operation are assured, as well as greater certainty of supply of water at all times, and especially when fires occur.

This invention relates to an apparatus for the purposes above alluded to, and also for raising and forcing water for other purposes; and it consists in certain combinations and arrangements of the parts of which it is composed, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of our improved mechanism, showing an engine consisting of a steam-cylinder and a cylinder or pump for compressing the air, a series of pipes for conducting the air to and from the air-pump, a series of tanks for the reception of the air and for water, and an air-reservoir for receiving and retaining a supply of air for use when the engine is not in operation. Fig. 2 is a side view of the engine, showing the columns for supporting the shaft, the shaft in position, the disk or crank to which the connecting-rods are attached, and the air-compressing cylinder. Fig.3 is a plan view of the air and water receiving-tanks, and of their water eduction-pipes, which are to be used when the Water is to be forced directly into pipes leading to a city or town where it is to be used.

Corresponding letters refer to corresponding parts in all the figures.

In constructing pneumatic apparatus of this character for elevating and forcing water,

we use any suitable compressing-pump, driven by any suitable prime mover, such as asteamengine, a water-wheel, a wind-n1ill,a horsepower, or any other which is capable of furnishing the requisite amount of power. When the air-compressing machinery is to be driven by steam, we prefer to use an engine, A, of the character shown in the drawing, it being so arranged with reference to the air-pump that the piston of the steam-cylinder shall be at or approaching the point where it exerts its maximum amount of force when the piston of the air-cylinder is at the point where it meets the greatest amount of resistance, the object of which arrangement is to economize steam by allowing the steam to be cut off when the piston upon which it acts has reached the center of its stroke, or some point near it. The frame-work of an engine suitable for working this apparatus is shown at B, in Figs. 1 and 2, the shaft being shown at B and as resting in boxes formed in the end columns I of the frame. Upon one or both outer ends of the shaft B there is placed a disk'or crank, B to which the connecting-rods of the steam and air cylinders are to be attached by means of a suitable crank-pin. This steam-engine is to be supplied with suitable valves, eccentrics, or cams, and with rods for operating them.

The air-compressing cylinder may be ar ranged as shown in the drawings, and have in its heads valves 0 0 of any suitable construction for the induction of air into the cylinder, said valves being arranged in cups, and so as to open inward, as shown. This form of cylinder-head will render necessary a peculiar tanks for the reception of air and water, and suitable pipes for conducting the air which has been taken in through apertures in the air-cylinder from the atmosphere to one of the air and water tanks, and back again'under pressure to the air-compressing device, and from thence to another of the series of air and water tanks, and from that to the first of the series, or to any other one, as may be desired; and, further, in combining, with the air and water tanks, a suitable reservoir for air, and

pipes for connecting the same, so that the air from the air-reservoir may be used to expel the water from the air and water tanks when the air-compressor is not in operation.

For the accomplishment of these results we employ the following arrangement and de vices: First, two or more tanks, D D which areto be placed in a well, or in any other position where the water to be raised or forced out of them will enter of its own gravity. These tanks may be of any desired capacity, they being provided with induction-valves D which open inwardly by the action of the inflowing water, but which close when force is applied to expel the water from said tanks, and remain closed until such force is removed, and while thus closed no water or air can pass them in either direction. The location of these tanks will generally be below the level of the floor or base upon which the machinery rests, as indicated in the drawings. Connected to the upper head or to some other upper portion of the tanks are pipes E E, which conduct the compressed air from the compresser to the tanks D and D alternately. The points where these pipes are joined to the cylinder are at its ends, in order that, as the piston approaches either of said ends, all or nearly all of the air may be expelled, because, if any considerable amount were to be left in the cylinder, it would, upon the receding of the piston, expand and, to some extent, prevent the air from entering through the inductionvalves. Connected with these pipes are others, E and E Eand E, for conducting the air alternately to the different tanks D and D The pipes E and E are provided, at or near the points where they connect with the cylinder, with valves which close inwardly to prevent the air which has once been pressed into them from returning to the cylinder. For permitting the air to enter the cylinder upon starting the operation, and at any other time when it becomes necessary, cocks or valves 1 2 are placed in its heads, which may be opened to allow the air to pass in, or may be shut so as to prevent either ingress or egress through them. In order that the air, after it has been used for expelling the water from one of the tanks D or D, may be returned to the air-cylinder under such pressure as is maintained in the tank from which it is being pumped, and thus be made to aid its transfer from one tank to the other by tending to form an equilibrium of pressure and resistance on the piston of the pump, pipes F F are attached to the heads of the cylinder, which communicate with the chambers formed therein, and with the interior of the tanks D and D Attached to the pipes F F are other pipes, F F F and F as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. These pipes,which serve as eduction-pipes to the tanks, but as induction-pipes to the pump, as well as those before referred to, and lettered E E, &c., and which act as eduction-pipes from the pump and as induction-pipes to the tanks, are provided with suitable cocks or valves, which are to be opened and closed automatically by any suitable arrangement of eccentrics or cams upon the main shaft of the engine, or upon a separate shaft or shafts, to be moved by any of the moving parts of the engine. When cocks are used for this purpose their outer ends are to be provided with an arm, which will serve as a crank for opening and closing them and they are to be so arranged that when the tank D has been filled with air at a pressure sufficient to expel the water therefrom, and the water has been thus expelled, and it is desired to pump the air from said tank into D, the cooks or valves in the pipes F and 13 must be opened to permit the air to pass to either end of the air-cylinder. Those in pipes E and E are also open to permit the air to pass from the cylinder to the tank D, all the others being closed; and when the water has been expelled from the tank D, and it is necessary to pump the air back into the tank D the position of the opened and closed valves is reversed and the air passes to the other tank. We propose to operate these valves by some suitable mechanism, such as a worm-wheel upon the shaft of the engine working into a geared wheel, which shall, when the pump has made a sufficient number of strokes to empty one tank, change the position of the valves automatically, and thus the air be allowed to pass from one tank to the other, as described; or any other suitable mechanism may be used for reversing the valves. A reservoir, G, for containing air under pressure is so arranged that the air may be pumped into it with the same pump which fills the tanks D D and there retained, to be used when the compressor, for the time being, happens to be standing still from any cause. The air is conducted to this reservoir by means of pipes H H which communicate with the pipes E and E 'of the compressor, they being provided with valves to give direction to the air and to prevent its return to the cylinder. The tank G may be of any dimensions, accordin g to circumstances, it being made tight and furnished with pipes to conduct the air from it to the tanks D D so that if, by any accident, the machinery should be temporarily stopped, the air from the reservoir may be made to pass to the tanks, and thus expel the water from them to keep up the pressure in the pipes, the tanks D D being provided with cocks I to allow the air to pass out into the atmosphere after having been thus used.

When it is desirable to raise the water vertically from the tanks D D pipes J J are provided, which extend to near the lower ends of said tanks, so that when the air is forced in at the top the water will be forced through the pipes.

As we contemplate using this apparatus for forcing water directly into pipes which lead from it to the streets of a city or town, we have shown a method of delivering the water alternately from the bottom of the tanks into such pipe, which feature is shown at Fig. 3, where it will be seen that valves are arranged in pipes K K to permit each tank to be emptied without afiecting the other. When thus used the pressure in the pipes may be regulated at pleasure by changing the speed of the compressing apparatus.

The operation and effect of our improved apparatus may be described as follows: The parts having been constructed and arranged in a suitable manner, the compressing-pump is put in operation. The cock or valve which communicates with the atmospherebeing open, air will be pumped into the tank D and when the proper amount has thus been forced in to create a pressure sufficiently great the water will be expelled; and as soon as this is done the cooks or valves above referred to will be closed and the valves opened to allow the air to enter the pump from said tank, and those which permit it to pass to the other tank will be opened also, when the compressed air in the first-named tank will pass into the compressingcylinder in the rear of its piston, or in such a manner as to cause its force to act in the direction in which the piston is moving, and thus aid to the extent of its pressure in transferring the air from one tank to the other, such pressure being a constantly-diminishing one from the first to the last stroke of the piston, until all the air has been transferred. It follows from this arrangement that a considerable amount of economy must ensue as a consequence of the aid derived from the use of air which has already been utilized in expelling one tank full of water; and the apparatus is also economical in first cost.

We are aware that an air-pump has been combined with reservoirs for expelling water therefrom. We do not therefore claim, broadly, such combination; but

What we do claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In an apparatus for raising and forcing water by pneumatic pressure, the combination of an air-compressing cylinder, two or more watertanks, and suitable pipes and valves for conducting and controlling the movements of the air, the construction and arrangement of the parts being such that the reflex force of the compressed air is made to act alternately upon the opposite sides of the piston of the compressing-cylinder, and thus aid in its transfer from one of the water-tanks to the other,

substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.,

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES M. BLANOHARD.

W. E. PRALL.

Witnesses: I

A. RUPPERT, W. BRADFORD. 

